Lasting Tribute
by skycloud86
Summary: Epilogue to "A Fatal Choice".


**Author's note - This story is set in 2027, 25 years after Day One. The events of Days One to Seven have taken place, although Day One is slightly different to the canon, as this is a sequel to "A Fatal Choice". Jack, Teri, Kim and Nina Bauer are all still alive.**

Nina Bauer flicked through the photo album, searching for that one photograph that her father had kept for so many years. Finding it, she carefully took it out of it's protective plastic sleeve and studied the fine features of the woman photographed. She admired the deep blue-green eyes, the shaggy ebony hair, the smooth ivory skin and the finely crafted bone structure of the face that belonged to her namesake, Nina Myers.

Placing the photo back in the photo album, Nina decided to give her father a call. He had never really spoken about Nina Myers, although he was more than happy to show the picture to his daughter whenever she mentioned her namesake. Nina would always notice the look he would get whenever he saw the picture. It was one of painful regret, and Nina had always wondered why the photo would affect him like that. Whatever she knew about Nina Myers was mostly basic, such as her name and what she looked like. She knew that her father had worked with Nina at CTU for some years, and wondered if something had happened at work. It was hardly the safest job in the world, chasing terrorists, and she had heard all about how her father had suffered in the line of duty.

"Hey Dad, it's me", Nina spoke down the phone, hoping that she had caught him in a good mood.

"Hi sweetheart, how are you?", Jack's raspy voice replied.

"I'm fine, Dad. I have a few questions I want to ask, and they may be sensitive", she said, hoping not to be too blunt about the subject of Nina Myers.

"OK, go ahead", he said, having no idea what she wanted.

"It's about Nina Myers, Dad", Nina told him, and she could almost see her father's face as he heard that name for what was probably the first time in some years.

"Nina, honey..", Jack replied, hoping that the mere tone of his voice would convince her that he didn't want to talk about Nina Myers.

"You only have to tell me what you want to tell me, Dad, please? I just want to know", she pleaded down the phone, unsure whether such a tactic would work. There was a silence for a few minutes, and Nina could hear her father mumbling to himself.

"OK, Nina, I'll tell you about her. Come round here this afternoon, and bring the picture if you want to", Jack told his daughter. He loved Nina and didn't want to keep anything secret from his daughter, but it was hard for him to talk about Nina to strangers, never mind to his own family.

It was a breezy April afternoon as Nina walked through the quiet suburb where her parents were spending a quiet retirement. Her dark brown hair, inherited from her mother, flew in almost every direction as it was pushed by the winds, and her tanned skin, inherited from her father, was caressed by the spring sunshine. Walking down the path that led to her parents house, she began to doubt her plan, and wondered if it was worth opening old wounds just to satisfy her curiosity. Deciding to carry on and find out about her namesake, she wandered up to the oak door and knocked a few times. Her mother, by now an elderly woman with grey hair and a kindly smile, opened the door.

"Hello darling, how are you?", Teri asked as she embraced her youngest daughter.

"I'm fine, Mom. How are you and Dad?", Nina enquired as she went inside the house.

"We're fine. I've been getting on with my painting, and your father's been busy looking through some old files", Teri told her daughter. She knew why her daughter was there, and hoped that the truth would not harm her in any way.

As she sat down next to her father, Nina wondered what exactly she would ask her father.

"So, you want to know about Nina Myers?", Jack asked his daughter. He reached for a file and placed it in his lap reverently.

"This file contains everything I feel that you should know about Nina Myers. You can either read it here or take it home. I hope that it will satisfy your questions, sweetheart", he said, smiling at her as he passed her the file.

"Thank you, Dad", she replied, giving him a peck on the cheek.

Later that night, Nina was sat at her kitchen table, looking through the Myers file. She had, so far, been very impressed by Nina Myers, and she felt proud to be named after her. As she got to the last few pages, she came to the final few days of Nina's life and, as the truth was revealed to her, silent tears fell from her eyes, staining the old pages. She realised just how deep her father's pain was, and could only hope that Nina had understood why he had to kill her. Closing the file slowly, she sat there quietly, a tribute to her namesake.


End file.
